Idaho NewsGuild members stood up for their fired boss last week, publicly protesting McClatchy management’s decision to abruptly fire editor Christina Lords and organizing community support for the beloved newsroom leader.
Lords’ offense? Publicly advocating for Microsoft Excel for a new investigative Journalist.
As top editor, Lords was not a union member, but she had a reputation for going to bat for her staff and championing efforts to build the paper.
In a Jan. 22 tweet, Lords described her frustration about not being able to get the software, while asking the community to subscribe to and support the Idaho Statesman. She later deleted the tweet, but was fired effective Jan. 25.
“This is a devastating blow to the morale of a newsroom that is already chronically understaffed,” union members wrote in a letter to McClatchy brass that they posted on Twitter.
“Lords was a driving force behind several Statesman projects that received national acclaim, changed laws and won numerous awards,” they said. “She has advocated for employees to pursue fellowships and investigative projects. She championed McClatchy’s push to grow subscribers, drive page views and increase revenue for the company.”
After the story garnered national attention, management offered Lords her job back, but with stipulations Lords wasn’t comfortable agreeing to. “I appreciate the gesture to find common ground more than I can say, but the best thing for me is to make a break from this company. I can’t thank you enough for the support,” she tweeted.
Following the blowback from Idaho NewsGuild and readers that garnered national headlines, management posted her job, along with listings for long-vacant positions for two reporters, a photographer and an advertising position.
Members of the Idaho NewsGuild were pleased by the job postings, but questioned the timing and said Lords’ dismissal “was an unjust firing that eroded community trust and did permanent damage to newsroom morale.”
Photo credit: Michael Lycklama.